Workplace Accidents

Denver Injuries on the Job - Employee's Right to Damages

Many injured workers assume that when hurt on the job or at a construction site, their only option for compensation is to file a workers' comp claim for medical expenses and lost wages. While it is true that an employee cannot sue his or her employer for damages suffered in workplace injuries, the injured worker in many cases has the right to sue other defendants who can be held accountable for the full extent of the damages and losses resulting from the accident at work. For a free consultation about your rights to personal injury damages in a workplace injury, contact Denver trial attorney John Mattey.

In the most serious workplace injury cases involving severe head injuries, multiple fractures, burns caused by electrocution or explosion, or spinal injuries resulting in paralysis, the ability to control the investigation and development of medical evidence for presentation against a third party defendant can make all the difference in your overall compensation. Moreover, a personal injury lawsuit can cover many components of damages that a workers' compensation claim will not include. These additional components consist of pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment, disability, physical disfigurement, and in some cases, punitive damages.

The most common situations involving an injured worker's right to pursue a personal injury lawsuit against a non-employer defendant involve construction workers. At building sites, where roofers, electricians, excavators, carpenters, pavers, and other workers are employed by different contractors or subcontractors, the negligence of one subcontractor might be the cause of another subcontractor's accident. A personal injury lawsuit in that situation will usually be available to cover the full extent of the injured worker's losses.

We also represent commercial drivers injured in motor vehicle accidents or truck collisions while driving a delivery route, unloading a van, or otherwise engaged in their work while on the road.

Denver workplace injury lawyer John Mattey can investigate the cause of your accident and the possibility of a third-party lawsuit for damages even while your workers' compensation benefits are being paid. For more information about your ability to sue for damages suffered in a workplace or construction accident, contact the John J. Mattey Law Offices in Englewood for a free consultation.